Stoker



May 3, 1932. N. M, LOWER 1,856,573

sToKER l Filed July 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l NA M. LOWER May 3, 1932.

STOKER Filed July 19 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i standardized as to lenPatented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.A

NATHAN I. LOWER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY IESNE ASSIGN-IENTS, T THE STANDARD STOKER COMPANY INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO-RATION 0F DELAWARE Application Sled July 19,

pockets for the supporting springs for the angle ring, reinforcing ribsin the bottom, ball joint, at the forward end, wheel supports, andanchor lugs for the radlus rods, all cast integral with the trough.

A further object of the invention is the lprovision of a new andimproved means for receiving the fuel from the tender and transferringthe same to the locomotive.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a detachable`crusher whereby the same may be attached at any point along the trough,thereby permttillig the troughs to be A still further objet of theinvention is the provision of new and improved conveyor trough orconduit that is rigid in construction, cheap to manufacture, easilyattached in osition, strong, durable, well reinforced, and) that is notlikely to become broken, distorted or get out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description takeninconnection'with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a portion of alocomotive and its tender showing the invention in position thereon,with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a tender showing the invention inposition thereon,

y with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is asection on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the conveyor conduit; beFig.6 is an elevation of the crusher memerom 19a?. semi no. 206.887.

and attach the necessary castings by riveting or bolting.

The conveyor trough or conduit is usually substantially V-shape incross-section in one portion and U-shape or cylindrical at anotherportion, and comprises two sheets bent to these two forms and connectedtogether by 'a suitable casting which is riveted to the adjacent ends ofthe two sheets.

This type of trough or conveyor is objectionable because the rivets willwork loose or shear' especiallyin the longer troughs or the connectmgcastings will break due to the strain or twisting of the trough causedby the crushing and transferring of the fuel.

When the troughs are made from sheet metal they are likely to becomeeither temporarily or permanently distorted by the strains to which theyare subjected, and as a result the angle ring that guides the fuel intothe trough will not fit properly, and more or less of the fuel willescape between the trough sheet and the angle ringV and be lost.

The present invention seeks to eliminate this diiiculty by providin acast trough that may be suiicientl rein orced only at the pointsnecessary,-t ereby providing a strong and at the same time acomparatively light and rigid trough.

By casting the trough the upper edge of the same can be reinforced toprevent distortion and its inner edge finished to form a straight edgefor cooperating with the vertical flange of the fuel angle ring, as willpresently appear, for directing the fuel into the trough without lossthereof.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same reference charactersare employed to designate similar parts throughout the description, thenumeral 10 designates generally a, locomotive having the usual backhead11 and cab 12. The tender is'shown at 13 and is provided in its floor orbottom wall with an conduit designated generally by the refer- 5 encecharacter 15 located beneath said opening as is usual in ,suchconstructlons. Y Thestoker mechanism designated generally by thareference character 16 comprises the elevator mechanism 1.7 and theconveyor mechanism 18, the latter including the conduit and a screwconveyor 19. The conveyor 19 is operated from the rear through the gears21 and operating shaft 22 1n the usual manner. The conduit 15 issupported i5, by a suitable truck comprising the rollers 23 mounted onstub axles 24 rigidly connected to the conduit as will presently appear.The wheels 23 are'm'ounted on suitable tracks 25 as is common in suchconstructions. An angle member 27 is interposed between the upperportion of the trough and the hoor or deck of the tender at each side ofsaid trough..

As shown inFig. 3 this member is angular in cross-section, its lowerliange 28 is adapted to engage within the trough or conduit. 15 and itshorizontal flange 29 is adapted to engage the lower side of said deck.The member is -held against the underside of the deck by suitablesprings 31 which engage pockets 32 integral with the conduit 15. Thismember 27 is positioned longitudinally of the tender by the links orradius rods 33 which are pivotally attached at their rear ends to saidmember as at 34 and are pivotally connected to the conduit or trough asatl 35 at their forward ends.

The conduit 15 is preferably cast and comprises the rear or troughportion 36 and the forward or cylindricalportion 37 which'terminates ina ballmember 38 which is adapted to engage in a corresponding socket 39,see Fig, 1, on the rearward extension 41 of the elevator casing, and tobe held therein by a pin 42.

Cast integral with the conduit or casing 15 are the pockets 32 fo'rreceiving the sprmgs 31, and the lugs or projections 43 provided withthe socket members 44 for recei Jing the stub axles 24. Thev lugs orprojections 43 are also provided with integral sleeves 45 through whichthe shaft 22 extends.

Anchoring lugs 46 are cast on each side of the conduit, to which theforward ,ends of the links orradius rods 33 are pivoted. These lugs areprovided with slots 47 for receiving the forward ends of said links orrods and with openings 48 for receiving the pivots 35 for said rods. Agear box 49 is cast integral with the rear end of the conduit. Sleeves51 and 52 having axial openings therethrough are also cast integral withsaid box and are adapted to receive the journals of the gear .mechanismfor operating the screw conveyor.

, In order to strengthen the casting, ribs 53 extending longitudinally`of the trough and located in the bottom thereof, may be cast on theinner surface of said trough. These ribs are preferably located at eachyside of the screw conveyor so that they will not only reinforce thetrough but will function to assist in preventing rotation of the fuel.The upper edges of the trough may also be provided with inwardlyextending flanges 54 and ,55 which may be and preferably are Imachinedto form a stra-ight edge against which the lianges 28 of the member 27are adapted to engage, whereby fuel will be prevented from escaping fromthe trough between the ent types of locomotives. The position of thecoal gate varies in the different types of tenders, and since it isdesirable that the Crusher shall be located just forwardly of the coalgate it follows that by making the crusher and support as separateelements they may be attached to the trough at different points, as theparticular installation may re uire. In conveying fuel through the stoer conduit the clogs or jams occur' at the Crusher, and any strains ortwisting of the trough necessarily occur or have their origin adjacentto the section having the Crusher therein. In order that serious damagemay not be done to the trough the Crusher support is so constructed thatit will give Way or break before the trough, whereby therepairs may beeasily made with a minimum of time and labor.

A suitable Crusher support 550, having flanges 56, see Figs. 4 and 7,which are adapted to engage the bottom walls of the conveyor conduit andbe attached thereto by suitable fastening means, as the bolts 57, justforwardly of the coall gate 50, is provided. The support may also beprovided with the side flanges 58, which are adapted to be attached tothe side walls of the conduit 15, whereby the support not only affordsmeans for attaching the Crusher, but also materially strengthens orreinforces the walls of the conduit. The crusher 59, having the Crusherteeth or projections 61, is of the well known construction, and isattached in the usual manner, its forwardly extending flange 60 beingadapted to engage the lug 62 on the support 550, andits lateralextenslons 63 being adapted to engage the rearwardly7 extending anges 64on said support, as is common in such constructions.

The holes for the means for attaching the Crusher are made 'in theforward end of the trough when the particular installation isdetermined.

The closure 640 for the gear box 49 is, of course, a separate element.It is provided with a bearing 65 for the rear end of the stub shaft 66,the forward end of which is connected to the rear end of the screwconveyor 19 for operating the same.

With a cast metal conduit any local weakness that may develop may beremedied by changing the molds to reinforce the casting at thatparticular point, thereby eliminating the use of metal where it is notnecessary, and strengthening the parts only at the points where it isnecessary.

I claim as my invention: 1. Acast steel fuel conveying conduitcomprising a V-section for/med wlth an arcuate bottom, a tubularsection, a round forward end, a slide support, a gear housing springpockets on the upper edge of the sectlon, and

a re-enforcing rib inside of the conduit adj a'- cent the arcuate bottomon each side thereof extending lengthwise the conduit cast integral toformu a rigld casting.

2. A cast steel fuel conveying conduit comprising a V-section, a tubularsection, a round forward end, a slide support, a gear housing, springpockets cast integral to form a rigid casting, and a reinforcing andguide rib inside of the conduit on each side thereof lengthwise of saidV-section.-

3; As an article of manufacture, a cast metal fuel conduit comprising a'trough-shaped fuel section and an integral hollow extension .at one endof said section, said extension ter-r minating in' a ball-shaped member,a plurality of spaced ribs on the inner side of the bottom wall of saidsection, lugs on the sides of said section, certain of said lugs havingrecesses therein to form spring seats, an anchoring lug at each side ofsaid section stub axle supporting lugs at each side ofv said section,one of said lugs being provided with a cored opening extendinlongitudinally of the trough for receiving t e power shaft, and a gearbox integral with theY rear end wall of said section, said box having acored'opening through which the drive shaft is adapted to extend and acored opening for receiving a driving stub shaft.

In'testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

NATI-IANl M. LOWER.

